


stealing hearts (and never saying sorry)

by ceezo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, I'm Bad At Tagging, Inspired by Music, LITERALLY, M/M, Partners in Crime, Polyamory, art thieves, implied johntaeten, maybe later - Freeform, mention of renjun!!, ok. lets get it!!!!!!!, theres no actual heist scene, they steal art?? how do i tag that, they're violence-free criminals honey!!, trying to use proper punctuation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 16:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17625917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceezo/pseuds/ceezo
Summary: “And we could use some travelling, we've never been to Austria before!” Donghyuck says.“You're right!” Yukhei answers, loudly, “it's probably just as cold and damp as,” he fakes a thick accent,“Mother Russia,”then continues, “but it's nice to explore new places… create new homes.”“As long as we're together, we have a home, Xuxi.” Jeno reasons.(Or, Donghyuck, Jeno and Yukhei are art thieves tired of hiding.)





	stealing hearts (and never saying sorry)

**Author's Note:**

> hey!!!!!! it's me again ,,, this time with a nohyuckhei fic!! it's my first time ever writing about a polyamorous couple and it's been a great experience....... love these three boys very much!!!
> 
> ok so i want to clear some things up before you start reading:  
> 1\. i dont know abt......things(?!)  
> 2\. if you're russian and u get slightly offended by this,, idk... im sorry ok?  
> 3\. yes this is heavily inspired by taylor swift (title is from 'ready for it?') thank u!
> 
> ok so...... enjoy your reading!!!! <3

"I never trust a narcissist..." it's the first thing Donghyuck says as he enters their temporary home, first thing he does is to take off his inky combat boots, while unbuttoning his camo printed pants, that are currently on his mid thighs. There's no logic for an article of clothing to be so unreasonably annoying. The abundance of pockets comes in handy sometimes, though.

"-but they love you," it's Yukhei who speaks this time, taking his black gloves off his hands and tossing them somewhere near the sofa. "Yeah, yeah. We get that, Hyuck, but why are you still so offended Huang Renjun didn't bought that Renoir we stole last week?" he asks, words muffled by a slice of bread, jar of strawberry jam on one hand, orange juice box on the other.

Donghyuck gives the other guy an eye-roll, "He promised he would, ok? now I have to meet up with Johnny and make him take a few more calls, and I don't wanna annoy the guy. Also,” he puts one index finger up in the air, “it's a lot of paperwork."

Jeno is the last one to enter the apartment, closing the door behind him and locking it right after. A good thief shouldn't leave any door open to rush to take off their clothes or stick their hands on the first edible thing they find, but Jeno's not going to be the one who lectures his boyfriends at the break of dawn. 

"You're very lazy for an art thief, Donghyuck." he says, eyeing the boy who has now thrown himself over the sofa, only in his underwear, legs dangling from the arm rest.

“I’m not lazy, Jeno,” Donghyuck points at the younger, who's currently taking his (also) black combat boots on the doorway, “I just have better things to do!” he finishes his sentence throwing both arms in the air, dramatically as usual.

Yukhei is at the other side of the room, half-sitting, half-lying down on the dinner table, barely-chewed bread lazily placed on his lips as his eyes close slowly. Eating while sleeping is a habit around the house, giving they get home at unholy hours, with way too much hunger but an even bigger amount of exhaustion. Yukhei’s a pro at chewing on his food while sleeping, Jeno recalls as he watches the older boy softly snore, bread crumbs falling down his mouth.

“Xuxi could work out the paperwork! You go talk to Johnny, I talk to Huang Renjun!” Jeno says, with half-moon eyes and a big dainty smile on his face, too bright for someone who barely sleeps. 

“Why can't I talk to Renjun, though?” Donghyuck asks from the sofa, “He called me first, didn't he?”

“Yeah, but I don't think he had the best intentions when reaching out to you…” Jeno says, smile dropping as quick as a flash, getting a little bit too serious, crinkles on his forehead making an appearance, which could mean only two things: 

1\. Jeno is self-absorbed in another existential crisis which results in either walls of their rented house painted in new (weird and mostly over the top) colors or new soon to be forgotten hobbies.

2\. Something's annoying him.

And the second one sounds -- less dangerous, at least. But that's because ‘angry-jeno’ doesn't make an appearance to the public-eye very often. Both Donghyuck and Yukhei only saw it once and it left them deeply scared (and just a little bit turned on.)

Jeno's mostly a composed guy, very sweet and kind, primarily to his boyfriends but he wouldn’t dare to bat an eye before helping someone in need. He's a nice guy -- unless you cross his way. Or his boyfriend's ways.

“You're not going to… beat Renjun up or anything like that, right?” Donghyuck says, this time he's the one with crinkles on his forehead, and the main reason for that is that Jeno is a hard guy to read.

Jeno smiles, not a condescending one, he would never. It's a true smile, a kind one, “I won't, Duckie. Promise!”

He extends his pinky finger at Donghyuck’s direction. Who intertwines it with his own in a matter of seconds. They hold it still shortly, then drop it. Donghyuck now smiling back at Jeno’ satisfied grin.

 

Waking up after a ‘deal-day’ (it's how they like to call it) it's never easy when the deal was left unfinished, or, in this case, when the deal was cancelled altogether.

Donghyuck isn't mad at Renjun anymore, he realizes after a few cups of black coffee and a rather large bowl of Cheerios, he's just disappointed at their waste of time. 

“He shouldn't have called me if he couldn’t afford a Renoir.” Donghyuck says, index finger drawing invisible doodles on top of their dinner table. 

“He probably just tried to set a deal because he thinks you're hot.” Yukhei says, mouth full of Coco Pops. That, makes Jeno raise his eyes from the local, totally not understandable, Russian newspaper. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose with the tip of his finger as he listens to the other boys.

“He wouldn't waste his own time like that! He's busy being…” Donghyuck waves his hands in the air, as if the words would rush inside him faster. He makes air quotes, _‘China’s Biggest Asshole’._ Whatever.”

“He's not a bad guy, though.” Jeno starts, “Just got lost along the way. I'll make sure to tell him we're only open for business with people who take us seriously.”

Yukhei cheers from the other side of the table, “Yes! You go, boyfriend! Tell him.”

“I'm not fighting him, Xuxi, Old-Jeno that used to fight everyone that stepped in his way is gone.” 

“Stop talking in third-person, Grandpa. And Renjun doesn't need to be fought, anyways. Just talk to him!” Donghyuck gets up and straightens his clothes, “I'll talk to Scary-Johnny. Xuxi does the paperwork… And maybe the groceries? We're out of toilet paper!”

“Hey!” Yukhei protests as both Jeno and Donghyuck leave the dinner table and go straight to the kitchen bouncing plates and mugs on their hands. “Why you two always leave me to do the easy stuff? I can do dirty too!” 

The other two come back, this time empty-handed. Donghyuck plops himself down on Yukhei's lap, making the other huff and drop the spoon inside the milk-filled bowl, “I know you can, you big baby!” 

Jeno watches the two from afar, leaning on the door frame and smiling as Donghyuck squishes Yukhei's cheeks and talks to him in a borderline annoying high-pitched voice. They're cute, his boys.

“I'm actually jealous of you, Xuxi,” Jeno says, looking up at the ceiling, concentrated in whatever role he’s playing, “talking to Renjun will be so annoying.” He makes sure to give emphasis on the ‘so’. “Plus, you'll get to explore Russian snacks!” 

“I'm so jealous!” Donghyuck says, making the most of his act, hands going all the way to his forehead in an attempt to sound distressed. Yukhei rolls his eyes at both of them.

“I see what both of you are doing, but I'm letting it slide this one time!” Yukhei says as he carefully lifts Donghyuck off his lap, making sure to boop the younger’s nose right after. 

 

They put off their duties until the sun sets, it’s how things work around here. They get home late at night, wake up at approximately four in the afternoon, go out at eight, and repeat everything. It’s a cycle they’re used to, and giving the sun sets early and rises late, they’re always surrounded by dark. It’s not a problem, Jeno thinks, since the sun himself is currently putting on shoes and nagging about his choice of clothes. 

“Do you think this is a bit too much?” Donghyuck asks, arms stretched on his side, showing off his Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ t-shirt, blue jeans (cuffed at the bottom, obviously) and bright yellow all-stars. 

“Duckie, this is fine!” Jeno says, smiling at the other guy who just looks more annoyed at every second passing, “Johnny is not going to care about whatever you’re dressing.” 

“I know!” Donghyuck says, voice a little bit too high-pitched, which means he _clearly_ doesn’t know, “I just don’t want to annoy the guy, he sounds scary!” 

Yukhei appears from the bathroom, pink toothbrush hanging from his lips, “You only think that because his name is Johnny.”

“Well, that’s what all the villains in animated movies are called!” Donghyuck answers.

“This doesn’t make any sense, Hyuckie, Johnny is just an art dealer, not the Boogeyman.” Jeno says. 

He’s the reasonable one of the three. When Donghyuck thinks the job’s too risky, he’s the one that calms him down, when Yukhei thinks they’re not going to make out of a certain museum in time, he’s the one that calmy rants about how much time left they have and how everything is going to end up just fine. He’s the calm one, that’s his position in their relationship, and he’s damn good at it. 

“He really is just an art dealer…” Donghyuck says, like Jeno’s words are slowly sinking in on his brain. “Also, we’re the ones who steal the art he sells, if anything, he should be scared of me!” 

“Damn right!” Yukhei encourages the other boy, fists in the air and everything. Jeno rolls his eyes, in an endearing way, of course. 

 

All three leave alone to their specific locations, they don’t usually go out together since it’s too risky. It’s not like they live in the shadows here, it’s just a precautions act. If one of them gets caught, the others won’t. It’s safe. 

Donghyuck takes the Metro since Johnny leaves in a recluse part of Moscow. He wonders which part of this dark, haunted-looking city isn’t ‘recluse’.

Jeno, on the other hand, takes his bike along with him on the journey to Renjun’s apartment complex. It was the first thing he bought with the art-money. A bike. It was his childhood dream, back in Korea, when things weren’t so complicated, he always dreamt about buying a bike. A blue one, he recalls, he wanted a blue one, with a basket on the front.

The blue bike is here, though. The basket thing long forgotten since now, Jeno isn’t as dreamy and naive as he used to be, he only carries a disposable phone and a pack of bubblegum with himself.

Yukhei leaves on foot, the tiny market is just a few blocks from their street and he could use the fresh air. 

Every profession comes with hazards, being an art-thief just comes with bigger, worse ones. Like, not being able to leave the apartment very often or not being able to hold a conversation with any stranger for more than five minutes without suspecting they’re some kind of infiltrated cop. It’s a few of the things they had to leave behind… friendship, trust in other people, the real sense of freedom, but Yukhei wouldn’t trade it for anything -- even though right now he really could use a hot pack and some vegetarian pizza. 

 

Donghyuck arrives at Seo Johnny’s workplace after what seems like two days and a half, but it’s only two hours. The place it’s an old, barely holding itself up, studio. Very good if you need to store a shit ton of stolen art pieces, very bad to live on a daily-basis, unless you’re a rat or a cockroach. 

He knocks at the old metal door twice, stops for about five seconds then knocks twice again. It’s how Johnny informed he should do by text. 

The door opens with a loud noise, sliding to the side and stopping with an almost deafening bang. Donghyuck isn’t scared, he isn’t. He robbed the Hermitage Museum, here in Russia. He robbed the MMCA in South Korea. Even robbed some famous Parisian museums at the astonishing age of 20. He’s got this. 

He enters the place with careful steps, he’s not planning on stepping on a rat or some radioactive pool of water. 

Everything looks dark, humid and scary. Donghyuck doesn’t watch a lot of horror movies -- he’s scared of them, don’t tell this to Jeno and Yukhei -- but his surroundings look as if he just stepped into one, and he’s not ready to die. He’s 21. And in Russia. If anything let him die in Paris, on top of the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by pretty boys and champagne. 

It’s quiet, the only noise you can hear are from mice, other suspicious things crawling on the floor and a muffled sound of electronic music coming from behind him, but Donghyuck feels like it’s just his brain’s method of dealing with all of this. 

Turns out it isn’t, cause the music gets louder and louder, until he feels like he’s in a club, except there’s not a single soul there and things don’t smell like booze, but rotten. A loud bang can be heard from inside the big studio, probably a door slamming, then louds steps coming down the stairs. 

Suddenly everything is white, it attacks Donghyuck’s vision like lightning, though it’s just big light bulbs coming to life.

“Mr. Lee, my man!” an enthusiastic voice says from behind Donghyuck, making him jump and turn around, noticing a very tall and excited man coming in his direction. _Johnny?_

“Mr. Seo?” Donghyuck asks, voice crack betraying him as it leaves his mouth. He tilts his head to the side, just as a confused puppy would. 

“Please, call me Johnny.” The other guy -- Johnny, says while grabbing Donghyuck’s hand and shaking it in a lively way. Big toothy smile on his face as he does so.

“Mr. S- Johnny! You asked me to come here to discuss the ‘Roses And Jasmine In A Delft Vase’ selling…” Donghyuck recalls, not quite getting why this man, with a villain-like name and 6’ feet long legs is acting so warmly, almost childlike, towards him. 

“Yes, son, there’s that! Please take a sit!” the tall man gestures to an old-looking chair that’s placed in front of another old-looking table. Donghyuck nods his head and goes towards it, sitting in a careful manner, scared that the chair will break if he acts too roughly. 

“Huang Renjun gave the first and biggest offer to buy the painting, right?” Johnny says, while looking through a pile of papers, they all apparently look the same but he lets out a tiny ‘ah’ as he finds a particular one. Donghyuck nods, “Yes, Sir. Me and the other two men I work with were supposed to deliver the piece last night, but Renjun said he couldn’t buy it anymore.” 

“And do you possibly know why is that? He’s bought from us before, this Huang Renjun guy.” Johnny says, looking through the paper on his hand. It probably just says specific things like the price of the painting, the buyer, the painter and the measures. Donghyuck couldn’t care less about it. 

“I don’t, Sir. He made a face when he saw I wasn’t alone, though.” the younger guy answers. He notices Johnny’s eyes move to his face instead of the paper, and he looks like he’s examining something, studying Donghyuck’s expressions. 

“These men you work with…” Johnny starts, left hand waving in the air, “are they perhaps,” he stops, “and I don’t mean to intrude -- are they perhaps your boyfriends, Mr. Lee?”

Donghyuck doesn’t get shocked very often, he’s seen a lot in the 21 years he had lived so far, but this gets him a tiny bit surprised. And speechless, for a few seconds. 

“Sir?”

Johnny smiles, a sweet one, like he had known Donghyuck for years and it’s seeing him after a long time apart. “I’ve been in this field for a long time -- people often act out of jealousy, interest, lust… it happens, Mr. Lee.”

“You think, Huang Renjun only buys the paintings because…” Donghyuck says getting lost in his own sentence. 

“Because of you. Yes! Which -- if I might say, it’s great for business!” Johnny says, optimistic smile being thrown at the other boy’s direction. It’s a bit addictive, his smile. So Donghyuck ends up smiling back. It’s a grin, though, he’s feeling a little bit cocky after finding this out. It’s a great boost on his already big ego.

“I don’t know what to say.” It slips out of Donghyuck’s lips. 

“Don’t need to say anything, Mr. Lee” Johnny says, “If your boyfriends agree at this, you could make a lot of money just by winking and flirting a few times. It won’t hurt anyone.”

“It’d probably hurt Huang Renjun’s heart if he finds out I’m flirting with him for money, though.” Donghyuck answers, and he probably shouldn’t have by the surprised look on Johnny’s face.

“It’s nice of you to try to keep your heart kind, Mr. Lee.” Johnny says, “but it's not practical. Not for this.”

“Noted, Sir.” Donghyuck says, looking down. For some reason he feels like he just got scolded by his dad. Donghyuck doesn't have a dad, not a present one at least. It feels nice -- being taken care of by someone other than his boyfriends. Even if at the end of the day this is all just business talk. 

He leaves after a few more minutes there, Johnny offered him to stay more, to have a cup of some weird looking tea. Donghyuck denied politely, it's late by now and he hasn't texted his boyfriends, he should go, he explains to the older guy.

They part ways with smiles on their faces. Donghyuck knows he shouldn't make friends, he shouldn't create bonds giving he's always moving, always on the road. But he can't help it this time. For some reason Seo Johnny feels like home -- not home here, in cold Russia, but home in Seoul -- it feels like old times, when things weren't so complicated and he could enjoy the warm company of friends and people he cared about. 

He has his boyfriends, Donghyuck knows, it's just different. Having to sneak out of places and act like life itself is a big secret. Freedom sounded good in Seoul, it sounded good with his two lovers in his arms and the smell of freshly cooked dumplings. Though here it just feels damp, cold.

 

The sound of keys fumbling on the door's lock should make a thief scared, to Jeno, it just makes him feel at peace. His boyfriends are home, they're safe. Another day gone swiftly. 

Yukhei was home when Jeno arrived, thrown on the sofa watching a rerun of some Russian comedy show. Yukhei doesn't speak Russian fluently, of course, but still laughs at everything, apparently white dudes making a fool out of themselves is funny. Understandable. 

“Xuxi! You're home! How was it at the grocery store?” Jeno says, tossing his keys at a bowl near the door.

“Hi, Nono.” Yukhei says, puckering his lips at the other guy's direction. Jeno takes it as a cue to peck him on the lips. “It was good, even chatted with some old ladies!”

“In Russian?” Jeno asks, Yukhei nods proudly. “Isn't my baby so smart?” The younger guy says, rhetorically, but Yukhei nods his head eagerly anyways. 

Then it's Donghyuck who gets home shortly after, closing the door behind him and fumbling with his big coat and shoes before acknowledging the other two who are currently a mess of limbs on the couch.

Yukhei’s both legs dangling from it, giving he's too tall for the small piece of furniture and Jeno's on top of him, now wearing sweatpants and socks only. 

They're still watching the weird Russian show, and Yukhei's still laughing at everything, Jeno laughs by default at the older guy’s cute reaction.

“Sup, nerds.” Donghyuck says, smiling at the two. 

“How did it went with Johnny, sweetheart?” Jeno asks, taking his eyes off the television for once.

“He's actually not that bad!” Donghyuck says, going to their room to take off his clothes and get into something more comfortable for the rainy weather. From the other room he shouts, “He's a nice dude, isn't scary at all!”

“I told you, Duckie.” Yukhei says, voice sleepy. “He's just tall!” 

“Wait,” Donghyuck emerges from the room, also in sweatpants but they have tiny black hearts all over it. “You know him?” 

“Yeah, he's dating a friend of mine from Thailand.” Yukhei answers, eyes closed this time, almost dozing off. _”Oh,_ and a friend of mine from Korea. Both dudes look like Greek Gods, it’s crazy.”

Donghyuck sends a perplexed look at Jeno’s direction. The other guy is smiling, obviously. He always is. Donghyuck mouths to Jeno only, _‘why didn't he told me Johnny was cool?’_

It’s just another Mysterious Xuxi moment, they’re used to it by now, so Jeno just shrugs. Taking his hair out of his eyes with the palm of his hand a second after, only then Donghyuck notices the bruise.

“You have a bruise.” Donghyuck says, stating the obvious.

“I do.” Jeno answers, stretching his hand in front of his face and looking at the purplish mark.

“You punched Renjun?” Donghyuck asks, moving towards the couch and sitting by Yukhei's legs. The guy gets too much space for himself.

“I did.” Jeno answers again, nearly monosyllabically. He doesn't look at Donghyuck's face, because he knows the younger boy probably has a shit eating grin spread all over it. He promised he wouldn't punch him, but he did. Nice. “Stop looking at me like that!” Jeno says, eyes glued to the television.

“I'm not looking in any way except hopeless admiration for my sweet boyfriend!” Donghyuck says, not being able to hold back the laughter any longer.

He scoots closer to Jeno’s face, grabbing his cheeks with both of his hands then lays a loud wet kiss on his lips. “It's okay to punch people sometimes, Jen, especially if they were being assholes. Were they?” 

Jeno sighs, earning another gentle kiss on the lips from Donghyuck, “they were. Yes.”

“Then everything's fine. You're no monster.” Donghyuck says, tapping his boyfriend’s nose lightly. “You owe him nothing!”

“Can you two love-birds get off of me? I can't breathe!” Yukhei complains, voice groggy from napping, being almost buried under the two other boys.

Donghyuck snorts, offering a hand, just as a proper gentleman would, to Jeno, who gets up from Yukhei's lap, not forgetting to peck the older on the cheek first, of course, then sits on the couch.

They spent most of their free time like this, tangled on each other. Sometimes it’s on the sofa. Sometimes it's on their queen sized bed. But always together.

It's how they feel at peace -- when everything didn’t quite fell into place, they always did. Always had arms to slip right into.

Home isn't really a place for them anymore. They've been to every corner of the world by now: Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Rio. They never built homes there, but always had each other.

Even if there's Jeno's nagging at Donghyuck’s lack of tidiness, or Yukhei complaining about how he lost his XBox controller again, or even Donghyuck saying he misses his mother's Kimchi. 

They always found comfort in each others’ presence. 

 

“What's the schedule for today?” is the first thing Donghyuck says as he enters the living room, messy hair pointing everywhere as he stretches and yawns loudly. It's only 2 in the afternoon this time, not so late since they managed to come home early the day before. 

Criminals that get home early. It's funny. 

“There's no schedule, Hyuckie. Since Renjun ended up buying that Renoir,” Donghyuck smiles devilishly at that, they both know why and how the chinese man was suddenly convinced he could afford the painting, but neither of them say anything, “We have the day all to ourselves,” Jeno answers.

“Hm,” Donghyuck starts, “This sounds good. Maybe we can stay in, watch some movies. Not Russian ones, though, I'm tired of their weird sense of humour.” 

“Xuxi said he wanted to go to the library,” Jeno says, looking down at the boy who has his eyes currently glued to his phone screen. “Right, hun?”

“Yeah--” Yukhei looks up, “need a computer to do some research on Gustav Klimt.” 

Donghyuck ears perk up at the name, “Are you interest in Symbolism now, golden boy?”

Yukhei laughs, “Funny you say that!” Donghyuck smiles back, making finger-guns with both of his hands. Dumb art references are his number one best quality. Comes even before his talent of actually stealing famous art pieces. Yukhei loves the references, of course he does.

He continues, “‘The Kiss’ is exposed in Vienna... in Austria.” 

“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Jeno asks this time, intruding the other two's little tête-à-tête.

“I mean -- Russia's done, right?” Yukhei asks rhetorically, eyes running between the two boys. “We've had our fair share of fun and crimes here already!” 

“Xuxi's right. And stealing Klimt's most famous piece would be pretty legendary.”

“Oh, so you're planning a heist then?” Jeno asks, big, surprised eyes looking at the older boy with nothing but pure fondness. 

Yukhei nods, shyly. He always gets shy about this, being the center of attention. Which is very sweet, Yukhei's a sweet person. Donghyuck and Jeno would even dare to say he's the sweetest -- but they have biased opinions.

“I know dreaming about doing something this big and…” Yukhei waves his hands in the air, “revolutionary… is a bit naive of me.”

“It isn't, Xuxi. You were right about our time here in Russia being done. I can't stand looking at Saint Basil's Cathedral anymore. No offense.” Jeno finishes, saying the last bit of the sentence while looking up. Probably a fail attempt at reaching out to the Gods. 

“And we could use some travelling, we've never been to Austria before!” Donghyuck says.

“You're right!” Yukhei says, loudly “it's probably just as cold and damp as,” he fakes a thick Russian accent, _“Mother Russia,”_ then continues, “but it's nice to explore new places… create new homes.”

“As long as we're together, we have a home, Xuxi.” Jeno reasons. The thing is, he really is tired of this place, but at the same time, he's even more tired of travelling. 

Settling down is an ingenuous thought that runs daily on Jeno's mind, he shouldn't, but he's stuck with it. Deep down he knows home is Korea, at least for him and Donghyuck. He knows he could only feel whole again if coming back to the place where everything started, but he can't. They can't.

“I know you're tired of travelling, Nono.” Yukhei says, as if he's reading Jeno's mind. “But think about how much more we have to achieve! Austria is a whole new country,” Yukhei says excitedly, then tones it down a bit, “probably not very different from here but still.”

Yukhei looks at Jeno with puppy eyes, he always does it when he wants something. Jeno is a sucker for it, how couldn't he be?

Donghyuck adds, “Plus, we have a lot of time to find the perfect home. The forever home.” 

The forever home was a concept they came up with a few years ago, in Rio, when things couldn't have been more complicated but also couldn't be more beautiful. The almost unbearable heat coming from every corner of every street radiating a new sense of hope into their hearts.

Jeno still remembers, being in a tiny, old hotel with an even tinier bed, the three of them cuddled up together (even if it was too hot to do so) chatting about life, expectations, how it was going to be after they leave. 

So they invented that, a ‘forever home’ where they'd live with their forever boyfriends and maybe have forever cats (Jeno loves them) and forever kids, eventually. It's intangible, this dream of theirs, they don't pretend it isn't, but it's something to hold on to. When things aren't exactly the best, the forever home it's always in an intersection of their minds, waiting there, patiently, for them.

Yukhei smiles at the mention of it, he always does. “Yes, the forever home is waiting for us!” he exclaims, looking at Jeno, the puppy eyes still very much present on his face.

Jeno wouldn’t dare to break Yukhei’s heart (and Donghyuck’s, as well) by saying this isn’t a realistic thought, he would never. He doesn’t have the heart to do so, and keeping yourself optimistic is always good for their craft, he thinks. 

“Austria it is, then!” He says, big smile involuntarily forming on his face as he watches the two other boys cheer in front of him. 

 

And between empty bowls of cereal, breakable-looking porcelain teacups and so much love, they make the plans for whatever new adventure they’re putting themselves in again. 

No one talks about how the three of them are wanted in more than seven different countries or how they should probably forge new fake identities by now, giving the amount of old ladies Yukhei chatted with throughout their two months stay in Eastern Europe, of course.

**Author's Note:**

> hey YOU! you got to the end of the fic!!! congrats!
> 
> hope you all had a v great time while reading it, if you have anything whatsoever to say feel free to say in the comments!!!!! 
> 
> if you want to find me outside of ao3, my twitter is @haechanism and curiouscat is @lgbtzen
> 
> ok, thank u so much for reading!!!! bye \\(^ヮ^)/


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